Carrie Fisher to appear posthumously in next 2 'Star Wars' films

The force is strong with Carrie Fisher. For decades, the actress was synonymous with her alter ego, Princess Leia.

But then came her untimely passing at the age of 60 late last year. Hollywood mourned her loss, and fans of the Star Wars movies wondered how the franchise would handle this tragic turn of events. Fisher had already filmed her scenes for the upcoming "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," arriving in theaters on Dec. 15, 2017. But she was also expected to appear and play an integral role in "Star Wars: Episode IX," to be released in the spring of 2019.

The producers for both films, American Kathleen Kennedy and Israeli Ram Bergman, huddled to come up with a solution. Some wondered if they would use various kinds of movie magic and technological wizardry to include Fisher in the films. This weekend came word that Fisher's family has given Disney and Lucasfilm, the studios behind the movies, permission to use previously shot footage of Fisher for the upcoming films instead of using CGI recreations.

Carrie Fisher (center) surrounded by her brother Todd and daughter Catherine Lourd. Todd and Catherine have given Disney permission to use Fisher's image in an upcoming 'Star Wars' film. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

“She’s as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi Wan – when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful," Fisher's brother Todd told the New York Daily News. "I feel like that's what's happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue."

Disney is hosting an epic Star Wars celebration this weekend in Orlando. At the three-day event, Mark Hamill will lead a tribute to Carrie Fisher, and the first trailer for "The Last Jedi" is set to debut. From the looks of a behind-the-scenes set photo, it appears the two will have a Skywalker family reunion in "The Last Jedi."

The studio also put together this five-minute video honoring Fisher's work on the films:

For those wishing to see Fisher's final acting scenes before "The Last Jedi" arrives later this year, you can catch her in the third season of "Catastrophe," a sitcom in which she portrays the mother of one of the main characters. The new season begins April 28 on Amazon Prime.

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Benyamin Cohen
writes about everything from science to entertainment – and sometimes about dating apps for dogs.